Considering the experience of Sikhs in America.

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This month, Sikhs celebrated the appointment of Guru Hargobind as the sixth Guru of the Sikhs in 1606, following the execution of the preceding Guru, Guru Arjun, by the Mughal emperor Jehangir for refusing to convert to Islam. Born to a prophecy that he would crush tyranny, Guru Hargobind represented a metamorphosis for the Sikh people — manifesting more than just spiritual practice but worldly practice as well. The commemoration of his ascension as Guru is a timely coincidence, for […]

I was 11 years old, standing on stage with my classmates during our school’s annual Christmas concert in which we were singing the Christmas carol “O Come All Ye Faithful“. During our performance, I decided to make a small modification to the lyrics: Oh, come, let us adore Him, oh, come, let us adore Him, Oh come, let us adore Him, Christ your Lord. As soon as I uttered my modification of the last line (replacing “the” with “your”), I […]

President Obama offered his felicitations today on the celebration of Diwali: The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release November 13, 2012 Statement by the President on the Observance of Diwali Today, here at home and across the globe, Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists will celebrate the holiday of Diwali – the festival of lights. Diwali is a time for gathering with family and friends, often marked with good food and dancing. It is also a […]

As a Sikh I feel incredibly inspired by the courage and leadership that the sixth Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Hargobind Sahib Jee, showed in 1619. The Sikhs celebrate this event as ‘Bandi Chorr’ at the same time as the Diwali festival. There are a number of messages that come from Guru Sahib’s compassion and determination during his captivity, and when ensuring the release of the 52 Hindu kings with him, despite the chance to be freed alone. For me, […]

This week, most of those of South Asian descent around the world are celebrating Diwali, the “festival of lights” that is rooted in the Hindu tradition. It is one of the major celebrations of the year for Hindus, Jains and Sikhs, and was even recognized in a video by President Obama in 2009. I have written in past years about Bandi Chhorh Divas — the Sikh celebration at this time of year that commemorates the release from the prison at […]

Today marks Diwali, the “festival of lights”, which is celebrated all over India (the Huffington Post queries whether Diwali’s growing popularity should make it the next new American holiday). Diwali has its origins in the Hindu tradition, however it has a different historical significance for Sikhs, who on this day celebrate Bandhi Chorh Divas. On this day, Sikhs celebrate the release of Sikhism’s sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind, from prison in 1619. He also secured the release of 52 other Indian princes with his own (as described on this blog before). […]

For Sikhs, the celebration of Diwali has a different meaning than for Hindus. It is on this day that we celebrate the release of Guru Hargobind (Sikhism’s sixth Guru) and 52 Indian princes from prison in India in 1619. We refer to this day as Bandi Chhorh Divas, or Day of Release of Prisoners. Valarie Kaur, on her blog, relates its commemoration of liberation to the events to current times: But there is no Guru’s cloak big enough for the […]